"Thanks for everything" - Yuzvendra Chahal reacts as Joe Root opts out of IPL 2024
England's star batter Joe Root is set to give the upcoming 2024 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) a miss following a discussion with Rajasthan Royals (RR) management.
Reacting to the news of Root opting out of IPL 2024, RR spinner Yuzvendra Chahal shared an Instagram story, thanking the veteran batter. He also shared an old video of the two shaking a leg together during the previous season of the tournament.
The cricket stars shared a wonderful bond during their time with the Rajasthan-based franchise in IPL 2023. Chahal wrote:
"Thanks for everything Joe bhai ❤️🧿."
The announcement of Joe Root pulling out of IPL 2024 came in ahead of the retention deadline (Sunday, November 26). While he was initially unsold in the mini-auction, he was purchased by RR in the accelerated round for his base price of ₹1 crore.
Root warmed the bench for the majority of the season, featuring in only three matches and finishing with just 10 runs.
"Was able to create such a positive impact on the franchise and the players around him" - RR's director of cricket Kumar Sangakkara on Joe Root
Kumar Sangakkara, RR's director of cricket, confirmed that Joe Root won't participate in the forthcoming season of the IPL. He lauded the Englishman for his contribution to the team and for leaving a positive impact.
Speaking about Root's unavailability, here's what Sangakkara was quoted as saying on RR's official website:
"During our retention conversations, Joe informed us of his decision to not take part in IPL 2024. Even in a short span of time, Joe was able to create such a positive impact on the franchise and the players around him. His energy around the group and the experience he brought to the Royals will be missed. We respect his decision totally and wish him success in everything he does."
Notably, ahead of the IPL 2024 mini-auction, Rajasthan have also parted ways with top-order batter Devdutt Padikkal, trading him to Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) for pacer Avesh Khan.